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Arkansas has a petition going around right now to axe property taxes completely. I believe other states do not have property taxes already as well.

tzs 5y ago
All US states currently have property taxes [1]. [1] https://learn.roofstock.com/blog/states-without-property-tax https://learn.roofstock.com/blog/states-without-property-tax
Spooky23 5y ago
It's a popular notion for the redneck crowd. It never happens because it the math just doesn't work out. State/local revenues boil down to: property taxes, sales/use taxes, excise taxes, fees and income taxes. The big revenue streams are property taxes (schools, towns), sales taxes (county/state), and income taxes (state). Fees mostly sustain individual programs and have limited revenue potential - you can't make a fishing license $1000. So when you get rid of property taxes, you get rid of local control of the levy, which sounds great until Little Rock doesn't want to provide state funds to pay your football coach $200k. Even in a middle of the road state like Arkansas, the pressure to meet Medicaid and other other state program dependencies would make it difficult to fund local government. You'll have a revolt if try to levy a 20% sales tax. The talk radio answer is "shrink the government!". That means layoff cops, firemen, close schools and libraries, eliminate school sports and close public resources like parks, libraries and suspend things like street lighting. That will make reactionaries happy, but employers will leave.
- twobitshifter 5y ago
  That makes sense but 14 states allow local governments to enact their own income taxes. This seems like an easy fix. The problem with property taxes is that they’re taxing wealth which is not creating monetary value which can be used to pay the fees.
- no-dr-onboard 5y ago
  Your language seems a bit elitist, even for me. Nonetheless, the content of what you said seems reasonable and sound. Thank you for helping me understand this.
  - Spooky23 5y ago
    Sorry if I came off a little strong. I used to serve on a school board. Things would get intense sometimes.
- selimthegrim 5y ago
  See also, parts of Southern Oregon which went ahead and did this anyway since all the logging companies were already gone.
JKCalhoun 5y ago
I agree, the unwashed masses can all send their kids to private schools and hire their own security as do I. (Wow, I don't understand the public sometimes.)

tzs 5y ago

All US states currently have property taxes [1]. [1] https://learn.roofstock.com/blog/states-without-property-tax https://learn.roofstock.com/blog/states-without-property-tax

Spooky23 5y ago

It's a popular notion for the redneck crowd. It never happens because it the math just doesn't work out. State/local revenues boil down to: property taxes, sales/use taxes, excise taxes, fees and income taxes. The big revenue streams are property taxes (schools, towns), sales taxes (county/state), and income taxes (state). Fees mostly sustain individual programs and have limited revenue potential - you can't make a fishing license $1000. So when you get rid of property taxes, you get rid of local control of the levy, which sounds great until Little Rock doesn't want to provide state funds to pay your football coach $200k. Even in a middle of the road state like Arkansas, the pressure to meet Medicaid and other other state program dependencies would make it difficult to fund local government. You'll have a revolt if try to levy a 20% sales tax. The talk radio answer is "shrink the government!". That means layoff cops, firemen, close schools and libraries, eliminate school sports and close public resources like parks, libraries and suspend things like street lighting. That will make reactionaries happy, but employers will leave.

twobitshifter 5y ago
That makes sense but 14 states allow local governments to enact their own income taxes. This seems like an easy fix. The problem with property taxes is that they’re taxing wealth which is not creating monetary value which can be used to pay the fees.
no-dr-onboard 5y ago
Your language seems a bit elitist, even for me. Nonetheless, the content of what you said seems reasonable and sound. Thank you for helping me understand this.
- Spooky23 5y ago
  Sorry if I came off a little strong. I used to serve on a school board. Things would get intense sometimes.
selimthegrim 5y ago
See also, parts of Southern Oregon which went ahead and did this anyway since all the logging companies were already gone.

JKCalhoun 5y ago

I agree, the unwashed masses can all send their kids to private schools and hire their own security as do I. (Wow, I don't understand the public sometimes.)